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Terry McLaurin Puts Commanders Front Office on Notice Amid Contract Standoff

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Michael Gallagher | Last updated Jul 16, 2025 11:16 AM ET

Star wide receiver Terry McLaurin was a key part of the Washington Commanders’ success in 2024, and to a larger degree the success of first-year quarterback Jayden Daniels, who was named to the Pro Bowl and won Offensive Rookie of the Year.

But the 29-year-old wideout is entering the final year of his contract that’ll pay him a $23.2 million salary, which he and many others consider drastically low for a player of his caliber at his position.

McLaurin is the 16th-highest paid WR in the NFL based on average salary, but he’s been producing at a top-10 level — and he feels he deserves to be paid like it based on his body of work, despite the Commanders seemingly not feeling the same.

“To a certain degree when you have a way of feeling like what you’ve proven up until this point, and you see that is put in front of you of how somebody perceives you, values you — that’s disappointing, it’s a little bit disrespectful to me,” McLaurin said.

“… I know what I bring to a team, and I feel like I’ve proven that day in and day out. … You would think when that is displayed consistently over years of time, then that would be honored and respected.”

I asked Terry McLaurin if it’s hard to separate the emotions from the business. “Of course.” pic.twitter.com/40qkEKGd0x
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) July 15, 2025

McLaurin, who admitted to reporters on Tuesday that he’s frustrated with the contract standoff between himself and the Commanders, has recorded five straight 1,000-yard seasons in his six years in the NFL, averaging 80.4 catches, 126.6 targets, 1,092 yards, and 6.2 touchdowns per year over that span.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, he’s reportedly seeking a deal that’ll pay him at least $30 million per year — a number on par with the top-paid receivers in the NFL right now (the top eight WRs all make $30 million per year or more).

And while he waits for a contract offer from Washington that’s up to his standards, McLaurin is standing his ground. He’s not making any crazy demands or requests to be traded (yet), but he did seemingly put the Commanders front office on notice.

“I have to stand on my worth and my value,” McLaurin stated. “… Unfortunately, you can’t force somebody to see that value. You’ve got to see where things go from here, but that’s just the disappointing part because you feel like you’ve done things right, you’ve bought into the team, this culture in this building last year, and I thought I was definitely going to be [a part of] the future of that.

“Again, I’m not making declarations one way or another, I’m just speaking on how it’s made me feel, how this offseason has been, the frustration I’ve felt — that’s all true, that’s not just what people are hearing, that’s coming from me.”

McLaurin’s remarks don’t sound especially encouraging.

He did disclose that he wants to keep playing in Washington and he hasn’t wanted to play anywhere else, but in the next breath, he also admitted while he understands the NFL is a business, he doesn’t feel particularly appreciated by the Commanders with how they’re handling his contract situation.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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